Fire escape ladder



w. R. MOELLER FIRE ESCAPE LADDER April 1-0, '1951 Filed May 2 4 J, 1946FIG. I

INVENTOR ATTORNEY l atented Apr. i, 195i FIRE ESCAPE LADDER William R.Moellcr, College Point, N. Y., assignor to Superior Fire EquipmentCorporation,

New York, N. Y.

' Application May 24, 1946, Serial No. 671,931

'4 Claims.

My invention relates to fire escape ladders and especially such laddersas will provide the minimum danger of accident or loss of life in theuse thereof, it being understood that the ladder must furnish means ofdescending from a point some distance from theground to the ground or asimilar point ofsafety and it is tobe remembered that persons using suchmeans of escape from a fire or similar emergency are necessarily underconsiderable excitement or strain.

One of the main objects of the invention is to insure that the user ofthe ladder will have the most desirable foot and hand hold in allsituations thatare commonly met with. To that end the design presentssufficient clearance between a vertical wall and the rungs to give theproper foot hold on the rungs and likewise furnishes the proper hold, ifthere is an obstructing fiat or inclined surface.

Another object is to make the construction of parts suitable for storingin a room or similar place, and yet sufiiciently and inexpensive to meetthe requirements of the user. It must also be capable of being suspendedfrom one fixed point with the maximum of speed and minimum of danger ofdisarrangement.

Qther objects and advantages will be in part indicated in the followingdescription and in part rendered apparent therefrom in connection withthe annexed drawing. a

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to apprehend the underlyingfeatures hereof that they may embody the sam in the various wayscontemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferred typicalconstruction have been annexed as a part of this disclosure and, in suchdrawings, like characters of reference denote corresponding partsthroughout all the views, of which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the fire escape ladder supported from awindow; Figure 2 is a detail view of a spacer showing an end of aconnector in dotted lines; Figure 3 is a detail showing a rung brokenaway, the rung, connector and spacer being assembled together; Figure 4is a detail view showing a link having its body portion retain thesocket of a connector of metal.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown said ladder, extending from awindow. The chains for supporting the rungs are marked I, the rungsbeing indicated by 2 and the ladder is shown extending downwardlyadjacent to a vertical wall and its lower part contacting an obstructingsloping fiat surface such as a roof.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3 the spacers are marked 4.

In Figure 3 and in dotted line in Figure 2 the connector is indicated by3. In Figure 3 the connector 3 is shown having one end formed with asocket B for a link of chain I and a lug I which projects through anopening in the spacer 4 and the spacer is rigidly secured to saidconnector by rivets thereby clamping the body portions of the link tothe connector. The square shaped lug (Figs. 3 and 4) projecting from theconnector atr spacer 4 is anchored against turning and twisting at thatpoint and is secured at two other points to the-connector, the centralpoint of application being intermediate the two arms of the link and inline with the axis of the connector,

" thereby insuring that no rocking, of the spacer can occur.- The otherend of said connector is formed with a tubular bearing 8 and the rung 2is shown rigidly secured on said tubular bearing.

Figure 4 discloses'clearly the body position of a link secured to saidconnector with its free ends projecting beyond-said connector and havingadjacent. links pliably secured thereto.

.The spacers are preferably shaped and mounted in a way to give them adual function i. e. that of spacing the rungs from any vertical wallsand also spacing them above the roof or fiat sloping surface of anyobstructing building or structure to enable persons to secure the properhold by foot or hand. To that end the spacers are somewhat elongated andovate shaped and by that is meant that they project some distance andincrease in width or breadth from the point of attachment. Having thebody portion of the link clamped to a connector with the free ends ofthe link projecting beyond the connector, insures that there will beflexibility of the chain at that point which together with the propershaping of the spacer insures that the rung will be slightly raised fromany obstructing horizontal or fiat surface. For that purpose thedimensions of said spacer are preferably about inch wide at point ofattachment and 2%" at widest part of the opposite end and 4 in length.The outer periphery of the spacer is rolled as shown in Figure 3.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthis invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readilyadapt it for various utilizations by retaining one 1. In a fire escapeladder comprising flexible metal chains having elongated links, metalrungs and fiat, substantially ovate spacers having reduced ends, asingle detachable connector having a body portion with acylindricalbeariiig for the rung projecting from said body portion,seats formed integrally with said body portion for enclosing the shanksof a link, theends of the links being flexibly secured toother links, asolidliig of said attachment beyond the ends of the rungs for enclosingand anchoring the links within same, a square-shaped lug integral withsaid attachment capable of fitting within a square'hole in said spacernear its reduced end for anchoring the spacer to said attachment, wingsor arms integrally formed as part of said attachment forming bearingsurfaces for said spacer,- the projecting wings assisting in resistingany sudden movements of the rung or link, thereby distributing thestrains exerted upon said spacer over a sulfiprojecting outwardly fromsaid connector rer' anchoring a spacer at its reduced end transverselyto said rung and'win'g's or armsfurnis'hing'bearing "surfaces for aspacer projecting from "said connector and capableof supportingfastening means for securing the connector to the spacers whereby thespacers are heldagainst undesirable rocking.

2. In a fire escape ladder comprising flexible metal chains havingelongated links, metal rungs and fiat, substantially ovate spacershaving reduced ends, a single detachable connector having'a body portionwith a cylindrical bearing projecting from said body portion forfastening a rung to said connectorfseats formed integrally with saidbody portion for enclosing and rigidly securing the shanks of alink, asolid squareshaped lug projecting outwardly of said connector foranchoringthereduced ends of said spacer to "said attachment transverselyto said rungs, and wings orarm's projectingfromsaid body portionfurnishing bearingsurfaces for said spacers and supporting fasteningmeans for securing said connector andspacer, the projecting wingsassisting in giving stability to thespace'rs. V

3. A fire escapeladder comprising metal chains with elongated links,rungs and substantially fiat and ovate metal spacers in combination witha unitary, one pieceattachme'nt -or connector for distributing thestrains caused by forces exerted on'the rungs, the rungs: being rigidlysecuredto said attachment, seats formed in the'body portion Giant areato prevent undesired rocking of said spacers. a

4. In'fa fire efsca'p'ieladder comprising a pair of flexible metalchains with elongated links, metal rungs, and substantially oval-shapedspacers having the figure of the longitudinal section of an 'eggeccentrically mounted on said chains in combination with a one pieceattachment or connection having a plurality of bearing 'surfa'cesforsaid links, rungs and spacers, including seats for enclosing the shanksof a link and including a square-shaped lug integrally formed from'saidconnector capable of fitting within a squareshaped opening in saidspacer for rigidly holding said spacer in axial alignment with saidrung, said connector having wings projecting from its periphery forfurnishing anadditional bearing for said spacers and fastening meanssecuring said spacers to said wings, the wings assisting in resistingany sudden movements of the'ru'ng or links, therebypreventingundesirable rocking of said spacers, the spacers having aminimum of contact with a wall.

WILLIAM R. MOEILER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of'record in "the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 284,688 Tweed Sept. 11,1883663,922 Neely Dec. 18, 1900 836,432 Bryant NOYI20, 19O6 1,044,010 BridgeNOV. 1 2, "1912 2,317,193 Hop'p -Apr. 20,1943 2,355,399 Schneider Aug.8, 19514 2,378,913 Dahlander June 26, 1945

